MIDWEEK ANNOUNCEMENTS!!

Midweek Announcements!

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

New Announcements:

• Gateway's Got Talent! The primary is putting on a talent show and you adults are invited to bring your talents also! There was a sign-up sheet that went around Sunday, but if you did not get a chance to sign up please let us know and we will get you signed up! This will be on August 3rd at 6:00pm, at the Stake Center. Refreshments will be served :)
• KICKBALL!: Starting this Thursday, July 11th, at Barney Park from 7:00p - 9:00p, every Thursday through August 8th. Times vary depending on which ward we will be playing.  Barney Park is located at 800 E. Galveston, Gilbert (between Ray and Williams Field).
• Stake Fireside: Sunday, July 21st at 7:00pm: Albert Farnsworth, a former temple president, will be the guest speaker.  This will be held at the Boulder Creek Stake Center, 3025 S. Hawes Road, Mesa (south of Guadalupe).
• YSA Stake Retreat; Summer Summit at Camp LoMia: "Coming Home to Christ." This will be an overnighter, August 16th & 17th. There is a $5 fee.
• Ward Temple Day: August 17th. Remember our goal is to get 1000 names! See our family history specialists if you need help with this.

Sunday Lesson Summary:

Chapter 13: Relief Society: True Charity and Pure Religion {Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 2011}

- Members of the Relief Society exemplify true charity and pure religion.

• The mission of the Relief Society is to succor the distressed, to minister to the sick and feeble, to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and to bless all the sons and daughters of God.

- Relief Society sisters work with priesthood holders to advance the interests of the kingdom of God.

• It has always been a source of pleasure to me to notice how faithfully you sisters of the Relief Society have stood by the servants of the Lord under all circumstances. You have ever been found at the side of the Priesthood, ready to strengthen their hands and to do your part in helping to advance the interests of the kingdom of God; and as you have shared in these labors, so you will most certainly share in the triumph of the work and in the exaltation and glory which the Lord will give to His faithful children.

- It is good to have the influence of the Relief Society in every home

• I would advise the brethren to encourage their wives to [participate in] the society … ; for it would be a good thing to have the influence of this organization in every home. I ask you, my sisters, in your visits to the homes of the Latter-day Saints, to carry this influence wherever you go. The Lord has clearly shown to you the nature of your relationship to Him and what is expected of you as wives and mothers. Teach these things to those whom you visit, especially to the young ladies. …
  You, my sisters, as members of the Relief Society and as mothers in Israel, should exercise all your influence … in favor of pure motherhood and faithfulness to the marriage covenant.

- As the Church grows, Relief Society sisters will have greater opportunities to serve 

• It is not necessary for me to detail what the Relief Society has done in the past; its splendid work is known throughout Zion, and in many parts of the world. Suffice it to say, it has been true to its mission, and its record is not surpassed, if equaled, by any other charitable organization. The Latter-day Saints are proud of it and of its achievements, and are grateful to our Father in Heaven that He inspired His servant the Prophet to establish such an institution. The future of the Society is full of promise. As the Church grows, its field of usefulness will be correspondingly enlarged, and it will be even more potent for good than it has been in the past. If all the sisters will rally to the support of the society, it will accomplish a mighty work and be a continued blessing unto the Church. It would be gratifying to see the middle-aged as interested in this institution as the aged, and by becoming so they will find that it will strengthen their faith, give them broader ideas of life and its responsibilities, and advance them materially along the path of progress and perfection.⁵
  From the beginning of their work the blessing of God has been bestowed upon [the women of the Church], and I have watched with a great deal of delight and pleasure and deep interest their progress. … They have succeeded astonishingly, and it is marvelous how God has blessed them and poured out upon them His Spirit. They have become, I might almost say with propriety, as angels standing in the presence of the people of the world.

- Relief Society sisters who trust in God and serve Him will be blessed in this life and in the eternities.

• This is what we desire to instill into the hearts of the sisters—to be useful in their sphere and not be discouraged because of difficulties in the way, but trust in God and look to Him, and His marvelous blessings, I promise you, will be poured out upon you. This shall be your experience. … Let me reiterate again, don’t be discouraged, but go on and accomplish good, exercise faith, and every opportunity that is presented seek to improve upon it. We want you to exercise all the talents that God has bestowed upon you. And there is this about it in reference to your prospects of success. When a person commences to travel over a path that the Lord has marked out, and by which to accomplish good in His interest, he is sure to succeed. He is precisely where God wants him to be, and there is the place that you may, with the greatest propriety, ask God for His blessing.⁷
  I feel to say, God bless the officers and members of the Relief Society. You are performing a grand mission, and I would exhort you to not weary in well doing [see D&C 64:33]. We are all aiming for celestial glory, and the grandeur of the prospects before us cannot be expressed in human language. If you will continue faithful to the work in which you are engaged, you will attain unto this glory, and rejoice evermore in the presence of God and the Lamb. This is worth striving for; it is worth sacrificing for, and blessed is the man or woman who is faithful unto the obtaining of it. God bless you all.

Service Opportunities:

• There are a couple women who have recently welcome new little ones and need meals. If you are able to and would like to provide a meal, please contact either Trisha or Janette, or email us and we will get you that information.
  
  

Free Items:

• If you are having problems with roaches, you can call the city to come spray the manhole in front of your house at (480) 644-3550.